Road-schooling paved with good vibrations

Mary Ann Malkoff of Orange drove this 39-foot RV. They depart from Mission Bay, San Diego, to begin their 2006-2009 "Great Family Adventure." The internet helped keep the family connected and was a great tool in the teen's education on the road. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MALKOFF FAMILY

Travel tips from the Malkoffs

Plan a trip around your children's interests. A fascination with vampires can lead to a historic trip to Louisiana, an interest in the movement west could lead you to a stop on the Oregon trail.

Call ahead to the local Chamber of Commerce for tips on local events.

When heading to a small town for an annual event, consider arriving a few days early: "All these neat things are starting to happen and the town is building to a crescendo," Mary Ann Malkoff said from her experience traveling with her family.

Summer learning: home and road

During the trip, Mary Ann Malkoff engaged her children in “road schooling,” a term used to describe both homeschooling and the out-of classroom learning afforded by travel.

But parents need not travel to engage kids in experiential learning. Summer affords a plethora of local non-traditional learning opportunities, said Allison Granger of the Orange County Department of Education.

Vacations, community events, volunteering, and even trips to the grocery store can be lessons.

On a hike, for example, ask young children to describe colors and shapes, Granger said. Encourage older children to tie geometry to real life by examining architecture for lines, symmetry and angles.

“In conversations, encourage your children to share their opinions,” Granger said. “Ask them what sources would provide evidence to support their opinions.”

Mary Ann Malkoff was standing at her kitchen sink in 2005 watching her son, 12, and daughter, 10, playing in the yard when she was struck with a thought familiar to parents the world over: My children are growing up too fast.

"The kids were both taller than I was, and I realized those years had gone by and I had missed them, and my children had never even been to the Grand Canyon," said Malkoff, who spent several of her children's earlier years caring for her husband after a terrible skiing accident. "I was filled with such remorse. I just wanted to recapture those years."

What she did next was a bit unusual: Malkoff and her husband, Mel, sold their Villa Park home in 2006 and hit the road in an RV with their kids, Dave and Edith, for a three-year exploration of the country.

"I really wanted the kids to have a feeling of America," Malkoff said. "When they heard the song 'America the Beautiful,' I wanted them to know what that looked like."

Malkoff presented highlights of that adventure on Sunday at the Orange County Public Library's University Park branch. It was the latest in a series of more than a dozen talks she's given to homeschooling groups and RV associations since returning from their trip in 2009. Through the talks, Malkoff said, she hopes to inspire other families to "live life more fully."

Her biggest piece of advice to families yearning for adventure: "Don't wait. Do it right now."

"I can't even tell you how neat it is to be with your family (on the road)," she said.

Over three years, the family toured 23 states. They kissed frogs at a Mark Twain festival in Hannibal, Mo, went trunk-or-treating in 20-degree weather in North Dakota, and visited four presidential libraries.

Mel Malkoff split his time between Southern California and wherever the family RV was parked and Mary Ann Malkoff helped run the family's project-management business from the road.

But living and traveling in an RV is less expensive than you might think, Mel Malkoff said on Sunday.

“It's a different way to live, and it's really a matter of just setting free,” he said.

Many of the other details of family life can be sorted out with technology. The family set up the RV with the Wi-Fi needed to homeschool from the road, and Mary Ann took a driving course to learn how to maneuver the rig.

The educational experiences the children gained were priceless, the Malkoffs said. Everything can be turned into a learning experience, from tornados to museums to county farmers markets.

"It helped me mature a lot," Dave, now 20, said on Sunday. "I have also gotten a much greater sense of the world, how big it is and how different it is just in one county."

The benefits of "road schooling" is a common theme among parents who embark on long – or indefinite – adventures. And there are more families on the road than people might think, Malkoff said.

The Malkoff family lives in a house in Orange, but they stay in touch with families met during the trip.

And they meet more families all the time. Tonya Graham, a La Habra mom who spends most of the year on the road in an RV with her husband and three children, was one of the attendees on Sunday.

Mary Ann Malkoff of Orange drove this 39-foot RV. They depart from Mission Bay, San Diego, to begin their 2006-2009 "Great Family Adventure." The internet helped keep the family connected and was a great tool in the teen's education on the road. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MALKOFF FAMILY
Mel Malkoff of Orange, from left, and wife Mary Ann Malkoff wanted their teenage son Dave, 20, and daughter to know firsthand what "America the Beautiful" meant. South Dakota, pictured, became one of Mary Ann's favorite spots. She lingered there too long for Mel's taste who eventually took the RV keys away from her and drove his family away from this picturesque state during their 2006-2009 "Great Family Adventure." CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Mary Ann Malkoff of Orange hit the road with her teenaged daughter and son, Portuguese water dog and her husband aboard their 39-foot RV from 2006-2009. They dubbed their travels the "Great Family Adventure." She was the primary driver. Zion National Park, pictured, was one of the places they experienced. Malkoff, who hates the word "can't," says "I don't have attachment to possessions." CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dave Malkoff, 20, describes his life on the road for three years. He loved the 2006-2009 RV adventure and became somewhat of a wanderer prompting his parents to put a spot tracker on him. He and his sister self-direct their high-school curriculum using internet classes and interests inspired by locations, museums and geography. CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Mel and Mary Ann Malkoff of Orange embrace whenever they are near each other. He taught her how to drive their 39-foot RV. "Hell yes, it was scary at times," Mel says of the driving lessons. Due to his property development work, he was unable to be on the "Great Family Adventure" full time and would fly out to catch up with his family. He'd live on their boat or a friend's couch when away from his family. CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Portuguese water dog Mayim loved the snow in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She did "great" on the road according to the Malkoff family of Orange. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MALKOFF FAMILY
This postcard of Mary Ann and Mel Malkoff of Orange highlights all the states they traveled through, in blue, during their three-year "Great Family Adventure." Mel's dad died when Mel was 24 years old. His passing became one of the inspirations for living their dream. Another dream Mel had was to have his entire avid-reading family be in the same place at the same time reading. They spent many nights on the road doing just that. ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, CINDY YAMANAKA
Dave Malkoff, 15, of Orange and his Portuguese water dog Mayim in Kootenay, British Columbia. The California family enjoyed seeing the change of seasons during their three-year RV adventure throughout the country and Canada. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MALKOFF FAMILY
Mary Ann Malkoff of Orange, from left, her daughter Edith, 12, and son Dave 14, are framed by a land shark in Texas during their great American/ Canada RV trip. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MALKOFF FAMILY
Initially, Mary Ann Malkoff of Orange thought she'd only need these two map books to navigate their family's 39-foot RV through America. She later added a GPS to her three-year road trek through the US and Canada. CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Getting a visit from a giraffe in Arizona is something that is best experienced, not read about. It was one of the many “road schooling,” (a term used to describe both homeschooling on the road) highlights of a three-year RV trip. CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Edith Malkoff, 12, of Orange, from left, mom Mary Ann and brother Dave, 14, get an up close and personal history lesson at the USS Lexington nicknamed "The Blue Ghost" in Corpus Christi, Texas. Mom and dad thought the timing of RV trip wouldn't have been any better. Their teenagers were still young enough to want to still hang out with them. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MALKOFF FAMILY
The Malkoff family of Orange was able to practice their Jewish traditions like making Matzah ball soup and sharing it with other campers during their "Great Family Adventure." CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Mary Ann and Mel Malkoff of Orange in their Eichler-inspired home. After being on the road from 2006-2009, she's enjoying nesting and spending time in their backyard garden, according to Mel. He would be happy to start another "Great Family Adventure" tomorrow. CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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